Although the desert in Baja drives thousands of spectators and racers to the area, many people don’t really get to stop and explore Baja. It doesn’t matter how many you’ve been in Baja, there are probably cool things to see that you haven’t. BF Goodrich got together with Baja legends like Cameron Steele, Curt LeDuc, Sal Fish, Bill Nichols, Jimmy Sones, Johnny Campbell, and Frank DeAngelo to create a list of the top 50 spots to check out in Baja.

The last episode covered spots 50 through 47. This second episode is going to cover spots 46 through 43 and includes a wide variety of cool sites and trails to explore.

46: Rancho Santa Marta

Rancho Santa Marta is a school and orphanage for children with learning challenges. Bill and Kay Lawrence have been running Rancho Santa Marta for the last 20 years. They gave their lives 30 years ago to help the kids of Baja and they’ve been in that location ever since. While they were visiting the Trail of Missions crew stopped by and got to hang out with everyone.

Cameron Steele’s father has been helping out at Rancho Santa Marta for the last 30 years, and Cameron just wants to carry on the family tradition of helping the kids of Baja. While they were there they brought posters, stickers, toys, and food for all the kids.

45: The Rock Trail

For dirt bike riders, finding a new trail is always fun. This trail, named The Rock Trail, was made by Bill Nickels who is 75 years old and still rides this trail he created. The reason it’s named “The Rock Trail” is because it is an extremely challenging trail which traverses rocky terrain. “You’ve gotta have the skills and the planning and you’ve gotta be ready for one of the hardest things you’ve done on your dirt bike,” said Cameron.

The trail starts with eleven miles of soft sand washes with lots of rocks and whoops. After the sand comes to the first rocky climb up into the mesa. The red volcanic rocks make for an interesting site but also increased ambient temperatures. In the video, you can see many dirt bike riders struggling to get up some of the hill climbs. Keep in mind that some of these riders are professional or seasoned riders.

44: La Purísma

Next on this list is La Purísma, and more specifically, El Pilon. La Purísma is a nice little town on a river and El Pilon is a 903ft tall mountain landmark that is truly breathtaking. “It’s a beautiful oasis in the middle of the peninsula. I’ve probably been through this town 50 or 60 times and I’m fascinated by it and I love,” said 5-time Baja 1000 winner, Ryan Thomas.

43: Ensenada, Mexico

Ensenada, loosely translated to Bay or Cove, is different than the rest in that it’s not a remote location. Instead, Ensenada is a pretty large town with lots of cool things to do. Just south, however, is an awesome dirt bike trail known as “The Missing Link.” This trail is four miles of gnarly single track with massive changes in elevation.

“People were having a real struggle. There were bikes flying left and right, and we had spotters on the trail helping guys get up the hill. It was definitely an experience,” said four-time RIP to Cabo rider, Andy Bonin. “It was one of the toughest trails I’ve ever been on. It’s right on the water, it overlooks the ocean, and here’s this gnarly single track that you’ve gotta get up,” said Jason McCune.

Be sure to stay tuned for the next episodes of the 50 Best of Baja!